Cells designed with a hollow cylinder defining a hollow space are often cells in which an alkali metal, in particular lithium, is used as active material in the negative electrode. Examples of cells with a negative lithium electrode are the lithium thionyl chloride cell, lithium sulphur dioxide cell, lithium carbon monofluoride cell, lithium iron sulphide cell and lithium manganese dioxide cell. Manganese dioxide electrodes are used as positive electrodes in the last-mentioned lithium manganese dioxide cell, iron disulphide electrodes are used as positive electrodes in a lithium iron sulphide cell, and sulphur dioxide dissolved in acetonitrile (absorbed in an inert electrode) is used as positive electrodes in a lithium sulphur dioxide cell. The positive electrodes are in the form of hollow cylinders in many cases here. The negative lithium electrode is arranged in the interior of the positive electrode, sheathed by a separator separating the positive electrode from the negative electrode, but in the process, permits ion transport between the two electrodes. In that case, the ion transport is generally ensured by use of a suitable electrolyte. Electrolytes in which a salt such as lithium hexafluorophosphate, for example, is dissolved in an organic solvent, for example, in a carbonate are particularly suitable for cells with lithium electrodes.
Electrical contact with the positive electrode does not generally present a problem. The outside of the positive electrode is usually in direct contact with the inner wall of an electrically conductive housing part. Electrical contact can accordingly be made by the housing part. However, it is more difficult to make contact with the negative electrode. A pin-like current collector is conventionally used for this purpose, the pin-like current collector being conically tapered at one end and provided with a flange at the other end, the flange playing a role in sealing off the housing. A typical example of a current collector of this kind can be found in DE 3240806 A1. The FIGURE in that application illustrates a cell of which the housing is made up of two metal half-parts 2 and 3. One of the half-parts is a housing cup 2, the other a flat cover plate 3 with which the housing cup 2 is closed. The housing cup 2 bears directly against the positive electrode 4. Since the two half-parts 2 and 3 are welded to one another, they have the same (positive) polarity. Contact is made with the negative electrode 5 by the nail-like, two-part arrester 9. The arrester is guided to the outside through an aperture in the flat cover plate 3 and insulated from the flat cover plate 3 by two sealing elements 11 and 13.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a cell distinguished by a simple design and low production costs.